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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet I.

' A. WELIN.

BREECH MEGHANISM FOR GUNS.

No. 451,865. Patented May 5,1891.

Z A MMW/ MQ *WN M {No.Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

A. WE'LIN. BBEBCH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

No. 451,865. Patented May 5, 1891.

gllu-l (No Model.) 7 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A. WELIN.

BREEOH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

No. 451,866. Patented May 5, 1891.

' AEL W'L/IV 5 1] kid almrnxyo' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AXEL IVELIN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,865, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed July 2, 1890. Serial No. 357,479. (No model.)

, To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AXEL \VELIN, mechanical engineer, a subject of the King of Sweden and Norway, residing at the Scandinavian Sailors Temperance Home, Garford Street, London, England, have invented certain new and useful Breech Mechanism for Guns, of which the following is a specification.

According to this invention I close the breech of a gun by means of two screw-blocks, one behind the other, which engage with different screws on the gun, so that in opening and closing the breech they are rotatable at different speeds. By using two breech-blocks engaging with screws of different pitches or of opposite twist a much quicker pitch can be used than with a single screw, so that the .breech can be much more speedily opened and closed. One of the breech-blocks may have a slowscrew to'afford the requisite security, while the other block, having a quick screw,- gives rapidity of action.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a gun constructed according to my invention, the breech being open. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal section, (on the line 1 1, Fig. 1,) the breech being closed. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the gun with the breech-blocks and mechanism connected therewith removed. Fig. 4 is a rear elevation, Fig. 6 a front elevation, and Fig. 5 a longitudinal section, (on the line 2 2, Figs c and (3,) of the breech-block carrier. Fig. 7 is a rear elevation, Fig. 9 a front elevation, Fig. 8 a longitudinal section, (on the line 3 3, Figs. 7 and 9,) and Fig. 10 a side elevation, of the rear breech-block; Fig. 11, a rear elevation, Fig. 13 a front elevation, Fig. 12 a longitudinal section, (on the line 4 4., Figs. 11 and 13,) and Fig. 1a a side elevation, of the front breech-block. Figs. 15 and 16 are a front view and plan of the firing-pin. Figs. 17 and 18 are detail views of the firingpin and its operating mechanism. Fig. 19 is a detail View showing particularly the firingpin and the devices in the front breech-block for operating it, and Fig. 20 is a perspective view of the rear breech-block and the firingpm.

A is the rear breech-block. Its periphery .is furnished with a divided screw CL of an ordinary type, which engages with a corresponding slow screw to on the inside of the breech of the gun in the usual manner. As shown, there are a number of screw-segments with inclined edges.

B is the front breech-block, whose periphery is furnished with a quick-threaded screw b which engages with a corresponding screw 1) upon the inside of the breech of the gun. The pitchof this q nick-threaded screw is the same as that of the inclined edges of the screw-segments on the block A. The two blocks are connected together by means of a dovetailed projection A upon the block A, which engages with a corresponding recess b in the block 13. The projection A is in the form of a ring, two opposite quadrants of which have a rectangular section, while the other two quadrants are undercut. (See Figs. 8 and 9.) The groove 1) in the block 13 is formed in a corresponding manner, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, so that when the two blocks are put together and one of them turned they are locked together. The block B has a semicircular overhanging lip B, which takes hold of the rim of the cartridge and acts as an extractor. The block A carries at its rear a hollow stem A which passes out through the breech-block carrier 0, as shown in Fig. 2. The stem A has longitudinal grooves cl upon it to receive projections D on the handle D, so that when the handle is turned the block A turns with it, but is also free to move longitudinally along its axis. overhanging lip O at its rear to keep the handle D in place, and it has fixed to it projections G which slide in guides E E upon the rear of the gun. Its inside is furnished with helical or inclined lugs or ribs G which enter grooves A in the breech-block A. WVhen a cartridge is put into the open breech, it cannot at first be rammed home, as the top and bottom of its rim come against the projections G which hold it in exactly the right position to allow the semicircular lip B (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) to come beneath it.

When the breech-blocks are inserted and locked in the breech, the cartridge is held in position, as shown in Fig. 2, the lip B engaging with the rim of the cartridge, ready to extract it when the vbreech-blocks are withdrawn. The firing-pin F and its spring f are The breech-block carrier 0 has an,

contained in the hollow stem of the handle D. The firing-pin is provided with a, lug F, which rides upon an incline G in a recess at the rear end of the block 13. WVhen the firingpin is in its forward position, it cannot turn relatively to the block A, as the projection F fits, in the slot H; but this slot is widened at its rear, so that when the firing-pin is drawn back it can turn slightly relatively to the block A, and when so turned is caught by f the shoulder 11 in the slot II and is retained in the cooked position. v

WVhen the gun has been fired, the front end of the lug F lies in the notch G while the main body of the lug lies in the slot H in the front of-the stem of the block A, in which it is held and prevented from turning, so that when the block is turned to open the breech the end of the lug F rides up the incline G, thus drawing back the firing-pin and cockin g the gun. When the lug F has been drawn back clear of the slot H, the continued rota- 2 tion of the block B carries the lug around and lodges it on the shoulder H.

The action of the apparatusis as follows: In order to open the breech after the gun has been fired, the handle D is turned, thereby turning the breech-block A, causing the segments of its divided screw to disengage from the corresponding divided screw in the breech of the gun. This turning motion at the same time to a slight extent withdraws the block A from the breech,carrying the block B with it, which, through its overhanging lip B, starts the empty cartridge-case. The turning of the block A relatively to the block 13 causes the lug F on the firing-pin F to ride up the incline G and so cooks the gun. At the moment the divided screw on the breech-block B has been disengaged from the divided screw in the breech the lug F. has reached the top of the incline and has passed onto the shoulder H and comes against side abutments on the blocks A and B, preventing the block Afrom rotating independently of the block 13, so that as the handle is continued to be turned the two .blocks are rotated together. The effect of this is that the block B, by reason ofits quick-threaded screw, has a rapid rearward motion imparted to it, and the block A moves with it, which it is free to do as the pitch of the screw-thread upon the block B is the same as that of the helical spaces between the screwscgments on the block A. When the two blocks have been fully withdrawn into the carrier 0, the latter, with the blocks, is caused to slide to one side along the guides E into the position shown in Fig. 1. The empty cartridge-case is then removed, a fresh cartridge is put in, and the breech closed by reversing the movements above described. When the two blocks are nearly home, the screw-threads on theblock A engage with the corresponding threads in the gun, and the blockA now turns faster than the block B, the latter being forced home by the longitudinal thrust of the former. During this motion the lug F is retained in the notch II and is turned clear of the incline G in the block B, so that it is free to be forced forward by its spring and fire the gun when it is pushed off H. v

The gun is fired by the line K, which pulls the slide L, having an inclined slot Z. This gives endwise movement to the rods M and M, which push the lug F off the shoulderH'. The firing-pin is then operated by its spring in the usual way.

What I claim is 1. In breech mechanism for-guns, the combination of two breech-blocks connected together, one behind the other, rotatable at different speeds, and engaging with the breech of the gun.

2. In breech mechanism for guns, the com- .bination of two breech-blocks connectedtogether, one behind the other, and means for rotating them at different speeds while being simultaneously withdrawn from the gun.

3. In breech mechanism'for guns, the combination of two'breech-blocks connected together, one behind the other, and having screws of different pitch engagin g corresponding screws in the gun, and means for operating the breech-blocks.

4:. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination of two breech-blocks, one behind the other, rotatable at different speeds and connected to move longitudinally together, and means for withdrawing the blocks from the breech of the gun.

5. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination of two breech-blocks connected to:

gether, one behind the other, one having a quick screw and the other a slow divided screwand'bothengaging corresponding screws in the gun.

6. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination of two breech-blocks connected together, one behind the other, one having a slow screw and the other a. quick divided screw and both blocks engaging corresponding screws in the gun, the pitch of the slow screw on the breech-block corresponding with the pitch of the inclined edges of the screwsegments of the divided screw in the gun.

7. In breech mechanism for guns, the com-.

bination of two breech-blocks connected together, one behind the other, rotatable at different speeds and engaging with the breech of the gun, a breech-block carrier to receive the blocks when withdrawn, and means for operating the carrier.

8. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination of two breech blocks connected to gether, one behind the other, and having screws of different pitch engaging correspond ing screws in the gun, a breech-block carrier to receive the blocks when they are with drawn from the gun, and means for operating the breech-blocks and carrier.

9. In breech mechanism for guns, the combination of two breech-blocks connected together, one behind the other, rotatable at different speeds and engaging with the breech of the gun, a handle connected With the rear the blocks when Withdrawn, a handle, With breech-block to rotate it, and means for conrelation to which the breech-blocks move lonnecting the rear breech-block to the handle gitudinally, and connections between this to permit the former to move lol'igitudinztlly handle and the breech-blocks.

5 relatively thereto. AXEL XVELIN. 10. In breech mechanism for guns, the co1n- \Vitnesses: bination of two breech-blocks, one behind the J NO. H. lVHITEHEAD, other, connected together, Which engage dif- 21L Southampton Buildings, London, TV. C. ferent screws in the gun and rotate at differ- THOMAS LAKE,

10 ent gpeeds, a breech-block carrier to receive 17 Gracechm'ch Street, London. 

